1.
After you have decided on the piece you want to display, you need to think about the frame. If you don’t pick the right frame you can kill the art work or image and you need to be aware of not overpowering the image or picture.

2.
Co-ordinate the colours, have a look at the image or picture and see if you can identify a colour that would complement the artwork. If you can test out colours with swatches first before deciding on the final colour.

3.
To be matt or not to be matt, the Matt colour should be neutral as this allows the artwork to be the main focus of the artwork or print.

4.
When you have decided upon the colour matt and the image, it’s time to decide on the colour of the frame. If you use a coloured mat, look at going for a basic wood finish or very light-coloured frame colour otherwise the image can be over-powered.

5.
How’s it hanging? This is vital. You need to think about what is best for the image to be displayed. Generally speaking, using wire framing works best as it can hold up to 30lbs without any issues, this won’t rust and so using this and proper screw eyes will save you a headache in the future.

6.
Where’s it going? Another key point is looking at the wall colour where the picture will be hung. This is something that needs a lot of consideration however don’t try and match the artwork with your furniture or put a picture done by your six year old drawings next to a piece of art. It doesn’t meld well.

7.
Take care! Depending on the location of your picture, you may require anti-reflective or UV filtering glass. You don’t want to have to change your picture due to lack of care and attention at your selection stage. Also don’t forget to make sure the height of the picture; it should be in line with a short person’s eye level rather than the six foot giant! Also if you are placing the artwork near a chair or a settee, make sure you that it will clear people’s head.

8.
Measure your frames: frames are measured from the inside, called the rabbet, of the frame. The size of the frame should be about 1/8″ (3.1750mm) larger than the size of the glass that will fit in the frame. This allows room for the glass, image, matt etc.

9.
Keep your images as clean as possible and don’t roll them into a tube. It obviously damages the artwork and also finger-marks; in certain lights really take your eyes away from the piece you are trying to display, its also very hard to clean so try not to put any dirty marks on them in the first place. Use high quality photograph paper and ink plus use cotton gloves.

10.
Finally, if you numerous images you want to cluster together on one wall. It’s a good idea to hang them together even if that means large white spaces beside them. The pictures will look more appealing especially if you have different contrasting size frames. It can make a room!

There have been several copycat attempts and some graffiti pieces being mistaken as Banksy when they were in fact by another artist. One of the more famous mistaken pieces is the panda brandishing guns on a street wall in France. Banksy has confirmed on his website that this is not his piece however many still consider this to be iconic Banksy art and continue to sell prints of the panda with his name on.

There have also been several debates in local councils as to whether Banksy ‘graffiti’ is permitted to stay or be removed with many deciding to give the graffiti a reprieve simply because it is such a symbolic piece of art. In one instance Bristol council allowed the public to vote online as to whether
they wanted an image of a naked man to remain.

There have been several iconic pieces of art by Banksy that many recognise instantly. Here are some of the top iconic pieces which have been confirmed as Banksy pieces:

Tesco Value Petrol Bomb – This was a lithographic print released in May 2011 as part of the campaign against Tesco Express opening a store in Bristol. The prints were sold to raise money for the local cause.

Pink Gorilla – Located in Bristol this was one of the earliest and most famous Banksy pieces before it was mistakenly painted over in 2011. The piece consisted of a gorilla wearing a pink mask.

Penguins at London Zoo – Managing to enter the penguin enclosure at London Zoo Banksy simply painted a 6ft high symbolic note “We’re bored of fish”. To go with this, in the elephant enclosure at Bristol Zoo he left another message “I want out. This place is too cold. Keeper smells. Boring, boring, boring.”

Rats often feature in Banksy art; many believe that this is as a mark of respect to the artist Blek De Rat who has been confirmed as an influence on Banksy. The rats are often painted with messages or props that may just make you think. Some of these include “welcome to hell”, “you lie” and rats holding paint rollers dipped in red paint.

Banksy artwork is available to purchase in print on silkscreen, with there being a limited number of each print being authentically produced. The limited edition and popularity of many of the prints means prices can be high, availability scarce and generally difficult to get hold of. If you cannot get your hands on any of the numbered, limited edition pieces it is possible to get a range of other Banksy artwork prints on canvas, coasters, mugs and t-shirts.

Personalised gifts are the perfect thing to give someone that has everything. Adding a picture of a
loved one to a mug makes it a favourite mug. Turning wedding photos into a book that can be read
over and over for years to come makes any happy couples day. Baby’s first photo can be turned into
a canvas and hung over a crib, the possibilities are almost endless and photobox.co.uk can make it all
happen.

The perfect destination for personalised gifts, Photobox takes your photos and turns them into
cherished gifts, cards, calendars whatever you want. Gone are the days where pictures ended up in
a frame on a mantelpiece. Photobox puts them on your cushions, fridge magnets, keyrings, teddy
bears t-shirts and even Christmas baubles.

Of course you can still buy prints of your photos and display them in a frame, or as a canvas, or even
as an acrylic block- Photobox will take your photos and do what you ask them to do.

The founders of the company started with the thought that while the digital age of photography has
made things better in so many ways, it is still nice to have a real life photo to show off to friends and
family. It seems that the people agree with them as over 8.5 million members send in their photos to
have them transformed into wonderful pieces, every day. Photobox is now the number one online
photo printing, sharing and publishing community in Europe which isn’t bad for a two-person start-
up.

One of the most popular items at Photobox are their famous picture books, which turn pictures
into the pages of books so you get real prints to flick through, without tarnishing the originals with
fingerprints. With small books available from just £5.99 making them the perfect gift to remind
friends of great times, all the way up to premium books, which retail from £99.99 for 90 pages of
life’s best moments with a professional quality and finish. These are like amazing scrapbooks without
any of the mess and fuss, and they won’t fall apart in a couple of years so you can be sure you’ll be
showing them to grandchildren in the years to come. They even do a Swarovski crystal book that is
perfect for those that like a little bling.
If your looking to buy anything, save your self a bit of money and get hold of some Photobox voucher codes which will give you a nice discount when you checkout your order.

Photobox really does take the stress and drama out of finding the perfect gift, card or even invitation
and adds a truly personal touch to everything they do. Every process of the Photobox experience
is personal; customers choose themes, colour patterns and styles, so anybody receiving a gift from
Photobox, or treating themselves to an expertly made high quality memory can be sure that they are
receiving something amazing and truly heartfelt.

The company even has its own blog which gives handy hints and tips for would be gift creators,
photographers or customers, and anyone with a Photobox account can share their pictures and
creations with everyone they know via Facebook’s new connect service.

4×6 inch Picture Frame

A 4×6 inch picture frame is one of the most popular small frames, approximately A6 in size. A 4×6 print is considered standard by many printing firms and chances are your normal prints will fit into one of these frames. The 4×6 picture frames are ideal if you do not have much space but want to display as many photos in frames as possible. Due to the compact size many 4×6 inch photo frames are available in a double frame which folds in the middle and gives the appearance of the inner pages of a book.

5×7 inch Picture Frame

If you are looking for something as convenient as the 4×6 but would have a little more space to utilise then how about the 5×7 inch photo frame? You could also use them as part of a feature wall, surrounding a larger photo frame. Standard triple aperture frames often hold three 5×7” photos. The small size also makes them convenient if you want to take some photos into the office!

8×10 inch Picture Frame

The next biggest size frame is the 8×10 picture frame and it is the one you need if you are looking for something which is A4 size, ideal for formal portrait images or compact landscapes. The approximate A4 paper size of the frame makes it an incredibly popular frame many choose.

10×12 inch Picture Frame

The 10×12 inch frame is great for those mid-sized images and also perfect if you have an A4 sized image which you would like to mount in a frame with a slight border around it.

12×16 inch Picture Frames

One of the bigger, standard size frames available and this is the closest A3 sized frame available. The 12 x 16 inch photo frame is common when it comes to those bold images that need a big frame; these are the ideal size for placing on a sideboard or desk.

16×20 inch Picture Frame

This would be ideal to frame many A2 sized images but at 20 inches, compared to the 23 inches of the print there would need to be some cropping which may not work for your image. Other than that this is a great size and working towards the sizes that can create a statement when hung on the wall!

Square Photo Frames

Square photo frames are ideal if you want something a little bit different from the typical rectangle and they are commonly available in the following sizes:

2×2 inch Square Picture Frame

This is a mini photo frame, often decorative in nature to make up for their small size or a multi aperture frame with several 2×2 picture spaces.

4×4 inch Square Picture Frame

If you have a standard 4×6 inch image but 2 inches at the side is just excess background that takes away from the actual focus of the image then you should consider the 4×4 photo frames and cropping some of the excess photo away!

Beyond these picture frame sizes there are many more available but these tend to be less commonly available both when it comes to printing services and the actual frames.

American Beauty

Simplicity combined with the tagline is key in the American Beauty movie poster, making it instantly recognisable. The poster is simply a girl holding a rose against her stomach with the tagline “look closer” this makes many of us return to looking at the poster to see if there is something hidden underneath.

Alien

The dark image, the glowing green substance coming from the egg and the tag line “In space no one can hear you scream” are the essential three pieces which when put together create a stunning movie poster that peaks curiosity and slightly terrifies at the same time.

Jurassic Park

The first movie of the Jurassic Park series has the poster with the most impact. The poster is exactly what is used inside the film to advertise the Jurassic Park theme park giving this poster two sides of the story.

Titanic

The Titanic movie poster is instantly recognisable and effectively conveys the drama of the sinking ship and love story of the film between Jack and Rose, the tag line “Nothing on Earth could come between them” is cleverly positioned on the bow of the ship which is what ultimately comes between.

Star Wars

The original film in 1977 is responsible for one of the most iconic illustrated movie posters of all time. The poster is full of action and sets the scene with the “A long time ago in a galaxy far far away tagline”. This movie poster is considered an icon by both 70’s and current Star Wars fans.

Jaws

The composition of the Jaws movie poster is what steals your attention! The fierce mouth looks like it is bursting out of the poster and the relative size of the shark compared to the swimmer at the top of the poster helps create a moment of suspense which is prevalent throughout the film.

Silence of the Lambs

On first glance this poster manages to convey terror with a black and white image of Jodie Foster with bright orange eyes and a moth in full colour across the mouth. When you look closer at the poster you will notice that the moth has a skull on the head representing the Death’s Head from the movie.  This poster really is as iconic as the film itself!

Planet of the Apes

The original Planet of the Apes movie from 1968 had a movie poster that was considered to be ahead of its time. The two tone image of the ape was created using text and alternate colours an effect that is still popular now.­

A Nightmare on Elm Street

An iconic horror movie just wouldn’t be the same without a movie poster that sends shivers up your spine! The eyes, the blades, blood red text and effective tagline will captivate and scare at the same time.

Vertigo – Saul Bass

No list of movie posters would be complete without an entry from the legendary designer, Saul Bass the poster for Vertigo is one of his masterpieces. Three colours, two of which are the clashing red and white with no tagline or images of the actual actors in the film puts all focus on the illusion in the centre of the poster.

Shabby chic furniture and accessories can be old, antique style pieces which you have found by scouring the charity, vintage shops and even the likes of eBay, or of course they can be new products which have been designed with the intention of looking old and finally for the artistic people you can take new items and “distress” them yourself by repainting, sanding away edges or adding small touches such as brass door knobs or handles on a set of drawers.

Placing a few statement pieces, vintage patterned fabrics and some accessories can instantly charm a room. You do have to be careful not to overdo the look; you are going for a “chic” look, not a junkyard.

If you cannot change the furniture in your room the quick and easy way to get a shabby chic look is changing the accessories in the form of shabby chic photo frames and the soft furnishings such as cushions and curtains.

Shabby chic photo frames tend to resemble photo frames from the Victorian era with their oval shapes or rectangles with details such as curved wood or hearts with a variety of apertures for the photographs.

The more simplistic shabby chic photo frames are typically normal rectangle photo frames in white or other dusky antique coloured wood or metal which look like they have been distressed by sanding or perhaps chipping around the edges. The metals of such shabby chic photo frames tend to be brass or antique silver which can be distressed, engraved with a floral like design or embossed.

Shabby photo frames are decorated in a variation of styles to suit a range of particular looks you may be going for whether its Olde English Country or Victorian Royalty. A range of sizes, shapes, apertures and additions are available for the frames such as covering with roses, butterflies and even inspirational quotes.

Cluster shabby chic photo frames are popular and are the traditional alternative to the modern collage photo frames. They are simply several smaller individual photo frames attached together in a non-uniformed manner, often contrasting different frame shapes and apertures to create a statement piece for a wall.

If you want to go all out with the shabby chic look for your photo frames then why not edit some of your digital pictures? Using sepia toning to create vintage brown styled photos or even black and white images would greatly compliment the white shabby chic photo frames. Edited photos are currently very fashionable and can easily be done using applications or photo editing software.

How to enter:

All 3 steps must be completed… 

1. Share this page or our home page with your friends to give them a chance of winning too. (use the share button)

2. From our large range of Frames choose which one you would like to win.

3. In the comments box below tell us which one you chose and why you would like to be the winner of this particular prize.

Closing Date: July 31st 2012

Terms & Conditions:
Only one entry will be allowed per person.
The best entry / winner will be chosen by us within 1 week after the closing date.
Our decision is final.
There is no alternative prize.
The winner will be contacted via email & have 30 days to respond to claim their prize.

This competition is now closed.
Any further entries will not be valid.
Thanks to everyone who entered.
The winner will be announced shortly…..!

Collage photo frames are perfect for those who have a lot of pictures they would like to display but perhaps only a small space or wall available to use and need an effective way in which to do this. They are a great way of creating the statement photo wall many families like to have in a home without the need to create multiple holes in the wall from hanging the frames. Collage photo frames tend to start holding three or four pictures going up, with the potential to hold over 50 photographs of various sizes. They may come across as an expensive piece however they often work out cheaper than it would if you bought the same number of photo frames individually and most importantly multi photo frames look stunning!

Collage photo frames allow you to explore your creativity; an example of this could be choosing a colourful frame but only using black and white images for a traditional look with a modern twist. For those that love things vintage there are a range of vintage inspired collage photo frames which can be used with sepia toned images.

If you wish to display an event, perhaps a wedding, family birthday or a child growing up then you could take a look at the collage frames that feature a large image in the centre of the frame as the focal point which is then surrounded by lots of smaller photos.

Collage photo frames are a great gift idea for many occasions. Depending on your relationship with the recipient you could fill the photo frame with pictures. A collage of images of a happy couple would be a simple, yet exceptionally thoughtful wedding present; alternatively you could leave the photo frame empty and let the newlyweds fill it up with photos of their big day!

As well as the traditionally shaped rectangle photo frames there are other options available. Tower collage photo frames are a relatively simple yet stylish trend when it comes to interior design. The frames simply display the photographs vertically, one underneath the other with perhaps smaller images alongside. If you have a large room and you are looking to creative a focal point then why not consider a room divider collage photo frame which is a room divider filled with a range of images of different sizes.